Dawn of Knight: Secrets of the Wolf
by Kira Vulpes
Summary: This is a Knights Kingdom fanfict! Oneshot... Jayko discovers a shocking secret about Danju's past.


**Secrets of the Wolf**

**A/N:** Does anyone know where I can post this story??? Please help!

Danju, Jayko, Karzon, Rascus, Santis, Kentis, Adric, Morcia, and Alendan are all © Lego. Alexis's character belongs to me. Story told from Jayko's perspective.

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The feast welcoming Adric took place by the cheery bonfire provided by Santis. On some large, flat boulders, was a selection of food prepared by Kentis. I sat by Rascus, exchanging funny jokes and stories while munching on a flaky biscuit. Kentis certainly could cook! 

As Rascus turned his attention (and friendly insults) to Santis, I took the opportunity to lean back and study the merry faces around the flames. First was Rascus, as lively and animated as ever. Then was Santis, who, despite acting gruff, was really a kind-hearted individual inside. Kentis was an intelligent, quick-thinking martial arts master, with a great flair for cooking And Adric, well, he seemed talkative and noble enough.

Suddenly, I realized one of my companions was missing! Danju, the oldest and wisest knight among us, was absent from the friendly assembly. I rose, hoping to get a better view. Unfortunately, Rascus noticed.

"Where are you going, Jayko?" he queried.

"Um, to stretch my legs," I responded, hoping the excuse would work. For some reason, I felt like searching for Danju myself. "Besides," I added, "unlike Santis, I don't need the extra weight."

Rascus laughed, and as I had hoped, I was no longer the center of attention. I slipped away into the night, my eyes slowly adjusting to the surrounding blackness. Pretty soon, I could discern a shape in the darkness, sitting apart from the bright fire. I cautiously approached. The figure looked up quickly when I drew nearer.

"Jayko?" It was indeed Danju, sitting by himself and gazing at the starlit sky.

"Yeah, it's me…" I paused. "Why aren't you at the feast? I thought you'd be happy that Adric's here. That yet another knight is on our side. Is something wrong?"

Danju didn't respond at first. He sat there, as if debating whether or not to say anything. Finally, he spoke. "Adric's not what's bothering me. It's just…" he trailed off.

I said nothing, sensing that in his own way, Danju was saying something that had bothered him for a while.

"Karzon," he said at last.

"Karzon?"

"Yes. The snake."

"Who is he?"

"A rogue knight known for his cunning. He's very good at planning traps and ambushes."

"You know him?"

Danju hesitated. "We've had… dealings."

I waited for Danju to continue. He obviously had a lot on his mind.

"When I was younger, in my late teenage years, to be exact," Danju continued, "I encountered Karzon in my wanderings throughout Morcia. We had… a disagreement of sorts, which finally led to a fight. Karzon was –is– a very dangerous opponent. However, I managed to outwit him and win the duel.

"Karzon, humiliated by his defeat, swore revenge. Angered by his loss, he left in a great rage. I thought nothing of it, sure that this would be the last I would ever hear of him. I didn't know how wrong I was." Danju took a deep breath and continued.

"When Karzon targets a victim for his plans, he doesn't rush. Instead, he patiently researches the individual, discovering their strengths, weaknesses, and even their personality types. Then he plans his trap with great care. I discovered that the hard way."

Danju paused. He seemed to struggle to find the right words to describe what happened next.

Looking at me, he softly said, "What I next tell you is for your ears and your ears alone. No other knights need to know about this. I will tell them on my own time. Do you understand?"

I nodded once.

"Very well," Danju continued. "I won't to go into all of the details, but you should first know about Alexis."

"Who is she?"

"You might say she was my girlfriend. Both of us were on the same wavelength, and cared deeply for one another. Alexis was present during Karzon's defeat, and like the snake he was, Karzon remembered _everything_ about me."

"Did he kidnap Alexis?"

"In a way, but it was much worse. A year or so after the incident with Karzon, the two of us were walking in the forest near Alendan, my homeland. She had just proposed to marry me and I had accepted. A joyous mood was in the early spring air, and a beautiful flower caught my eye. Intent on giving it to Alexis, I walked to it. Just as I was bending to pick the blossom, a shriek filled the air. I straightened and turned to see a hole in the ground and no sign of Alexis. Calling her name, I dashed towards the hole, but suddenly felt my self tripping and lifting into the air. Mesh enveloped me, and I quickly realized I was suspended from a snare in a tree.

"At first I thought it was a mistake. After all, wild animals such as deer roam these parts, and a knight might have been hunting in these woods. But when Karzon arrived, I knew it had been a trap. He sauntered over to where I was dangling and smiled. 'I wonder what happened to your girlfriend,' he asked casually, as if discussing the weather. 'What did you do to Alexis?' I shouted angrily. 'Let me down and I'll show you what happens when you mess with my friends!' Karzon just shook his head, like he was scolding a naughty child. 'Temper, temper, Danju. Isn't that something you're supposed to control? Like the safety of your precious Alexis?'

"At that point, I think I lost it. It's very hard to infuriate me, but Karzon sure knew how to get to me. Karzon walked off, pointedly ignoring my shouting and yelling, leaving me in that net. That was probably the worst thing he could have done. For two days, I hung there, with no food or water, and plenty of worry to spare. I think I developed a fever; that's how bad it was. I had terrible nightmares involving Alexis and, occasionally, Karzon. Finally, after those two days, Karzon reappeared and let me loose. I was too weak to do much damage to him, and I'm sure he knew it, for he continued to provoke me about Alexis. I tried to ignore Karzon and move to the spot where I had last seen Alexis, but I didn't get very far before I blacked out from both emotional and physical exhaustion.

"When I awoke, I was lying on a bed in a room with creamy-white walls. My helmet and armor was off, and I noticed I was wearing a soft white linen robe. At first, I didn't remember anything, but the content, confused feeling didn't last. The memories came flooding back, and with it, all the pain and anguish of the earlier incident. Shortly afterward, a young female nurse stepped into the room with some water and a pill. She didn't go into many details, but simply explained the medicine would help me feel better. I took it, and fell asleep soon afterward.

"Over the next couple of weeks or so, I continued to remain in the hospital and heal. I was able to quickly recover from the physical wounds, but the scars of my emotional wounds were still there. The nurse released me from the hospital about a month after Alexis's disappearance. While I was able to do many of the same things I had usually done, I never fully mended from that experience. In my free time, I continued to search for Alexis, but I never found her. And as for Karzon… he'd better stay hidden if he wants to live."

Danju closed his eyes after he was finished speaking, and remained that way for several minutes, as if reliving the past. I was so shocked about this recent revelation, I was unable to speak for a little bit. Danju had a girlfriend? He had never struck me as the romantic type, especially when it came to marriage. I couldn't imagine something like that happening to Danju, and yet, it made sense. Danju's aloofness when dealing with females. His recent quietness. It was nearly spring, so he must have been remembering Alexis. I almost had forgotten Danju was still there, and when he spoke, I was slightly startled.

"Fear is a terrible weapon, Jayko," he said suddenly, eyes open, and a serious note in his voice. "Not knowing what to expect. Being left to fill in the blanks. In many ways, it's worse than knowing what you're up against because you're left to imagine just what exactly will happen. Your worst nightmares fill your mind, and you have no way of knowing if they are true or not. Karzon wasn't stupid. He understood my weaknesses and used them to his advantage. Keep this in mind if you ever must deal with him. And please, Jayko… don't tell anyone."

I looked at Danju. I could understand why he'd keep this to himself. But why would he share this with me, of all people? "Danju, you're my mentor. If this is something you wish to keep to yourself, go ahead. I won't be the first person to tell the others. You can trust me."

Danju nodded, then leaned back, as if exhausted with his narrative. "You should return to the camp. The others will worry about you."

I rose. "Thank you, Danju. I never would have expected…"

Danju shook his head. "No, Jayko, thank _you_. I needed to tell someone about Karzon. My emotions have been bottled up too long. "

I nodded, then turned and headed back to the camp. As I walked along the dark grass, I could hear Danju.

"I will find you, Alexis. I will _never_ stop looking. I _will_ find you!"

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Ende! Hope you liked it... this was one of my first Lego Knights Kingdom fanficts. Please review!!! 


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